Neural micro and macrostructural correlates of visual outcomes in children with unilateral cerebral palsy: A fixel-based study.

Children with unilateral cerebral palsy (uCP) present with brain damage, predominantly lateralized to one hemisphere, and white matter (WM) lesions, which are known to affect visual functions. However, the relation between WM tract damage and visual outcomes remains unclear. Additionally, no prior study comprehensively investigated hemispheric-specific differences in WM visual pathways between children with left- and right-sided uCP.

The assessment of grip strength in preschool-aged children with and without unilateral cerebral palsy.

Purpose: To investigate reliability and validity of two grip strength devices in children with and without unilateral cerebral palsy (uCP) aged 2-6 years.

Method: We assessed grip strength in 20 pre-school-aged children with predominantly spastic uCP (mean age 4y0 ± 1y2m) and 20 age-matched children without uCP (mean age 3y11m ± 1y3m) using the Martin Vigorimeter and MyoGrip to investigate test-retest reliability (intraclass correlation coefficients; ICC), known-group validity (comparative statistics) and convergent validity (correlation analyses) in a cross-sectional design.

Results: In both groups, test-retest reliability was excellent for both devices and both hands (ICC 0.

Daily-life executive functions and bimanual performance in children with unilateral cerebral palsy.

Aim: To explore daily-life reported executive functions and their relation with bimanual performance in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP).

Method: In this cross-sectional study of 46 children with unilateral CP (mean age 11 years 10 months, standard deviation 2 years 10 months), executive functions were evaluated using the Behavior Rating Inventory of Executive Function (BRIEF) and bimanual performance with the Assisting Hand Assessment (AHA) and Children's Hand-use Experience Questionnaire (CHEQ). One-sample z-tests were used to compare participants' executive functions with population norms, while taking autism spectrum disorder (ASD, n = 16) as a comorbidity into account.

Automatic brain quantification in children with unilateral cerebral palsy.

Assessing brain damage in children with spastic unilateral cerebral palsy (uCP) is challenging, particularly in clinical settings. In this study, we developed and validated a deep learning-based pipeline to automatically quantify lesion-free brain volumes. Using T1-weighted and FLAIR MRI data from 35 patients (aged 5-15 years), we trained models to segment brain structures and lesions, utilizing an automatic label generation workflow.

Spatiotemporal coordination in children with unilateral cerebral palsy: Insights from a bimanual goal-directed task.

Background: In children with unilateral cerebral palsy (uCP), bimanual assessments mostly focus on qualitative assessments of the impaired upper limb during bimanual tasks, which do not capture the spatiotemporal coordination between both hands. Hence, we aimed to advance our understandings in spatiotemporal coordination in children with uCP compared to typically developing children (TDC) using a bimanual, asymmetrical, goal-directed task.

Participants And Methodology: In this observational study, thirty-seven children with uCP (11y8m±2y10m, 20 males, 16 right-sided uCP, Manual Ability Classification System level I = 23, II = 11, III = 3) and 37 age and sex-matched TDC opened a box with one hand and pressed a button inside using the opposite hand.

The relation between visual functions, functional vision, and bimanual function in children with unilateral cerebral palsy.

Background: Accurate visual information is needed to guide and perform efficient movements in daily life.

Aims: To investigate the relation between visual functions, functional vision, and bimanual function in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (uCP).

Methods And Procedures: In 49 children with uCP (7-15 y), we investigated the relation between stereoacuity (Titmus Stereo Fly test), visual perception (Test of Visual Perceptual Skills), visuomotor integration (Beery Buktenica Test of Visual-Motor Integration) and functional vision (Flemish cerebral visual impairment questionnaire) with bimanual dexterity (Tyneside Pegboard Test), bimanual coordination (Kinarm exoskeleton robot, Box opening task), and functional hand use (Children's Hand-use Experience Questionnaire; Assisting Hand Assessment) using correlations (r) and elastic-net regularized regressions (d).

Does somatosensory discrimination therapy alter sensorimotor upper limb function differently compared to motor therapy in children and adolescents with unilateral cerebral palsy: study protocol for a randomized controlled trial.

Background: Besides motor impairments, up to 90% of the children and adolescents with unilateral cerebral palsy (uCP) present with somatosensory impairments in the upper limb. As somatosensory information is of utmost importance for coordinated movements and motor learning, somatosensory impairments can further compromise the effective use of the impaired upper limb in daily life activities. Yet, intervention approaches specifically designated to target these somatosensory impairments are insufficiently investigated in children and adolescents with uCP.

Visual, perceptual functions, and functional vision in children with unilateral cerebral palsy compared to children with neurotypical development.

Aim: To investigate visual (perceptual) function and functional vision in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (CP) and children with neurotypical development (NTD).

Method: Fifty children with unilateral CP (mean age 11 years 11 months, SD 2 years 10 months, range 7-15 years; 27 males; 26 left-sided unilateral CP; Manual Ability Classification System [MACS] levels: I, 27; II, 16; III, 7) and 50 age- and sex-matched children with NTD participated in a cross-sectional study. Visual acuity, stereoacuity, and visual-perceptual functions were measured with standardized clinical tests.

In-depth quantification of bimanual coordination using the Kinarm exoskeleton robot in children with unilateral cerebral palsy.

Background: Robots have been proposed as tools to measure bimanual coordination in children with unilateral cerebral palsy (uCP). However, previous research only examined one task and clinical interpretation remains challenging due to the large amount of generated data. This cross-sectional study aims to examine bimanual coordination by using multiple bimanual robotics tasks in children with uCP, and their relation to task execution and unimanual performance.

A Critical View on Motor-based Interventions to Improve Motor Skill Performance in Children With ADHD: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis.

Objective: To map the effect of motor-based interventions on motor skills in children with ADHD.

Method: A systematic literature search was performed in Pubmed, Web of Science, and the SCOPUS database (last search: October 30th 2022). Methodological quality was assessed using the PEDro-scale and the quality of evidence was determined with the GRADE-method.

Reliable and Valid Robotic Assessments of Hand Active and Passive Position Sense in Children With Unilateral Cerebral Palsy.

Impaired hand proprioception can lead to difficulties in performing fine motor tasks, thereby affecting activities of daily living. The majority of children with unilateral cerebral palsy (uCP) experience proprioceptive deficits, but accurately quantifying these deficits is challenging due to the lack of sensitive measurement methods. Robot-assisted assessments provide a promising alternative, however, there is a need for solutions that specifically target children and their needs.